Last time I was in Ethiopia, all I could say was Selam, Ciao and Amsegenalehu. I decided to be a little more considerate and learn more Amharic this time. These are the phrases I learned. I’m pretty sure they are correct. If not, it’s close enough to probably get people to understand you. Just don’t put up your home up as collateral on wager that these words are exactly correct.
Also, Amharic has different letters. So, the words are written phonetically here. If you see Amharic words written differently with Roman letters, it’s just however the speaker sounds out the words. So, I wrote the word only phonetically. It probably will not match with how you will see it written other places. Example: I wrote “Eh-MY-ay” for mother. However, if you see it written down in other places, it will probably be written emaye.
All R sounds should be rolled. There are also other sounds that are not the same as in English. For instance, tenkahra or terths. The T sound is made by putting your tongue between your top and bottom front teeth and saying “T”. Don’t put the tongue behind your top teeth and say T like we do in English. (And make sure you still roll the R!) The K in Katell or Kai is a very hard K. It starts way back in your throat and sort of sound like you’re trying to get a hairball out. The best thing is to get someone to demonstrate the sound for you.
I tried to write phonetically, but I may have missed a few words. In general,
- AH is pronounced like AH
- A is short a.
- AY is long a.
- EE is long e.
- E (or EH) is short e
- I is long I
- IH is short i.
- O (or OH) is long o.
- OU is like in ouch.
- U (or OO) is ooo.
- G is a hard G.
- EW is eh followed by the consonant W sound (not oo).
- R is rolled R (like in Spanish)
- ñ is the Spanish N or like the French gn sound or ny (consonant Y) in English
- OE is kind of like the U sound in PUT (or the oo sound in HOOF if you pronounce it the Wisconsin way).
- SS just to emphasize the soft S sound. (Just because otherwise I might’ve read it with the hard S sound).
- Y as a vowel by itself will be the long I sound otherwise it is the consonant Y
- If a word ends with EHU (like Ewedehalehu), slur the eh and oo sounds together. They are not distinct syllables.
- There are different words/word endings sometimes depending if you are talking to a male, female, plural or formal (important person).I also found some vocabulary at the AAI website. I didn’t retype those words here.Get ready to Learn Amharic (my ferengi version of Amharic, anyway). If there are other words and/or phrases you’d like to add to my mini Amharic-English Dictionary/Phrase Page, add your request to the comments section. You can be anonymous if you wish.The right-hand column may have M, F or Pl listed. This indicates the version you should use based on who you are speaking to (not yourself).Words in blue were added most recently.Also, if you go to this entry, there is a file of words that are typically used in the photo albums sent to the children (mom, dad, brother, sister, dog, house, etc.). The downloadable/printable file has the words in English and Amharic. The Amharic is written phonetically with Roman letters and with Amharic letters so the non-English speaking staff at your child’s Ethiopian care center/orphanage will be able to talk to your child about the photos).
Pronunciation |
Meaning |
||
| THE ESSENTIALS (in my opinion) | |||
| Ah-woh (or OW!) Also, you can do a little intake of breath while you lift your eyebrows to “nod” yes. | Yes | ||
| I-deh-LEHM (starts with long I sound) Also can say Iyyyy. | No | ||
| Shin-TEH-BAYT? | toilet? | ||
| Chigger yeh-LEM | No problem. | ||
| GO behz | Clever (or “Good Job!) Often said to a child who does something to please you or succeeds. | ||
| Seh-LAHM | Hello (Peace) – standard greeting | ||
| chou (like ouch) | Bye (just like in Italian) | ||
| AH-mah-say-guh-NAH-loh | Thank you. | ||
| WOO hah | Water | ||
| GREETINGS/PLEASANTRIES | |||
| Seh-LAHM | Hello (Peace) – standard greeting | ||
| Seh-LAHM neh way? | Are you in peace? (a greeting) |
M |
|
| Seh-LAHM nesh way? | Are you in peace? (a greeting) |
F |
|
| in-DEM-min ah-DEHRK? | How did you spend the night? (greeting) |
M |
|
| in-DEM-min ah-DERSH? | How did you spend the night? (greeting) |
F |
|
| in-DEM-min walsh? | How was the day? |
F |
|
| in-DEM-min wahlk? | How was the day? |
M |
|
| in-DEM-min neh? | How are you? |
M |
|
| in-DEM-min nehsh? | How are you? |
F |
|
| in-DEM-min NAH-choo? | How are you? This is used for plural casual OR plural formal. |
Pl |
|
| in-DEM-min NOHT | How are you? This is formal singular. | ||
| Deh-na-NEHSH? | Are you fine? (greeting) |
F |
|
| Deh-na-NEH? | Are you fine? (greeting) |
M |
|
| Deh-na-NAH-choo? | Are you fine? (greeting) |
Pl |
|
| Deh-na-ñAY | I’m fine. | ||
| DEH-na | Fine | ||
| If someone asks you How are you? (A sentence that starts with in-DEM-min) then answer Dehna. If they ask you Are you fine? (sentence starts with Dehna) then answer Dehna-ñay. | Formal should be used with old people (grandparent age), people in any job that requires a college degree, politicians, priests, ferengi, etc. However, the “formal people” may tell you to go ahead and use casual with them. | ||
| chou (like ouch) | Bye (just like in Italian) | ||
| NOHR-ee | You arrived! It is a greeting said when you enter a room. |
F |
|
| NOHR | You arrived! |
M |
|
| Bugs ear. | Response to someone saying Noor. “By God” This is actually a contraction/slur of Exabier. | ||
| SIH may ___ | My name is ___ | ||
| SIH meh mah no? | What is your name? |
M |
|
| SIH mesh mahn no? | What is your name? |
F |
|
| Hah geh REH-heh yeht NO? | Where do you come from? |
M |
|
| Hah-geh REHSH yet no? | Where do you come from? |
F |
|
| In KWAHN deh-na meh TASH | Welcome |
F |
|
| In KWAHN deh-na meh TAH | Welcome |
M |
|
| Yah-YAY-roo hoo-NAY-tah in-DEHT-nehwoo? | How is the weather? | ||
| AH-mah-say-guh-NAH-loh | Thank you. | ||
| ih BAH kesh | Please (to a female) | ||
| ih BAH keh | Please (to a male) | ||
| AHZ nah lehu | Sorry | ||
| YAH suh deh GEH | Blessing said for a child that sneezes. (or just a general blessing) |
M |
|
| YAH suh deh GEHSH | Blessing said for a child that sneezes. |
F |
|
| Yeh mah REH | Blessing for an adult that sneezes |
M |
|
| Yeh mah RESH | Blessing for an adult that sneezes |
F |
|
| AH-bit | Said after someone calls your name. Kinda like “yes?” or “What?” or (in my house) “Hunh?” | ||
| PEOPLE | |||
| Bahl OR bah-lay | Husband | ||
| Meest | Wife | ||
| Wehn-DIHM | Brother | ||
| uh-HEHT | Sister | ||
| GAH-shay | uncle (or a term for man whose name you don’t know) | ||
| Feh-REHN-jee | Non-black Foreigner | ||
| tih-KOOR | Black (used for a black foreigner) | ||
| AH-beh-shah | Ethiopian (and maybe or maybe not the Eritreans) | ||
| AHN chee | Hey You (don’t be surpised if you hear this yelled at you) |
F |
|
| AHN teh | Hey You! |
M |
|
| AH kist | aunt | ||
| ah GOHT | uncle | ||
| Shih- MAH-geh-LAY | Old man | ||
| Ah-roh-GEET (hard G) | Old woman | ||
| YEH nay LEEJ | my child | ||
| YEH nay WEHN deh LEEJ | my son | ||
| YEH nay SEHT LEEJ | my daughter | ||
| hih TSAHN LEEJ | baby | ||
| lee JOHCH | children | ||
| IN-nay | Me | ||
| eh reh deht | helper | ||
| Mah-no yeh-nay eh-reh-deht? | Who is my helper? | ||
| PLACES | |||
| BAYT | home | ||
| mehn yah TAH bayt | bedroom | ||
| shihn teh bayt | bathroom | ||
| KOO shihn uh | kitchen | ||
| SAH lohn | dining room | ||
| SAH lohn | living room | ||
| yeh-MAHK-ee-nah BAYT | garage (but if you say garage to an English speaker in ET, they will likely think you are referring to a auto repair place) | ||
| yeh-MAHK-ee-nah MUHN-gehd | driveway | ||
| basement | basement | ||
| tihn-nihsh meh-NAH-feh-SHAH | backyard/grassy area (small park) | ||
| postah sah-TEHN | mailbox | ||
| teh MEHR teh BAYT | school | ||
| yeh-meh-GIHB mahg-JEE-yah-BOH-tah | food store | ||
| yeh-lihbs mahg-JEE-yah-BOH-tah | clothing store | ||
| MAH deh yeh (try to make the consonant y sound the last sound, kind of drop of the last eh) | gas station | ||
| yeh-meh-GIHB BAYT | restaurant | ||
| library | library | ||
| sah-GOOR ahs-tah-kah-kY | hair salon/barber | ||
| yeh-SIH-RAH BOH-tah | work (job place) | ||
| meh-NAH-feh-SHAH | park | ||
| meh-WAHN-yah BOH-tah | swimming pool | ||
| BAYT-tah Christian | church | ||
| meh KRAHB | synagogue | ||
| mahs-GEEDT | mosque | ||
| pohs tah BAYT | post office | ||
| keh TAH meh | city | ||
| geh TEHR | countryside | ||
| yeh-ihn-seh-SAHT BAYT | barn | ||
| tehl-ihk yeh-EHR-shah BOH-tah | farm | ||
| MEHR cah doh | open market | ||
| hah-KEEM BAYT | hospital | ||
| SOOK | local shop (small, small) | ||
| FOOD/DRINK/EATING | |||
| Waht | Stew | ||
| DOH-roh | Chicken | ||
| SHEE-roh | Yellow peas | ||
| Yeh-meh-SIR | Lentils | ||
| SIH-guh | Beef | ||
| DAH-boh | Bread | ||
| Ah-NAH-nahs | Pineapple (Fanta Ananas soda is tasty) | ||
| LOH-mee | Lemon | ||
| BIR too kan | orange (color and fruit and name) | ||
| Lohz | Nuts | ||
| Oh choh LOH nee | Nuts | ||
| KEE tah | Flat crispy bread kinda like a pizza crust | ||
| WOO hah | Water | ||
| MAH her ber AH wee | Mixed platter (when you order a meal) | ||
| beh KOH loh | corn | ||
| bah KAY lah | beans | ||
| FAHN deh shah | popcorn (or a nickname for a smiley girl) | ||
| shy | tea | ||
| BOO nuh | coffee | ||
| BIH lah | EAT! |
M |
|
| bee | EAT! |
F |
|
| SHOO kah | fork | ||
| SOO kwahr | sugar | ||
| SIHND eh | Wheat | ||
| TAH-Fahch (try to emphasize syllables equally) | sweet (or delicious – doro wat can be tafach) | ||
| meh RAHB | hungry | ||
| eh REH boh hahl | Are you hungry? |
M |
|
| eh REH boh shahl | Are you hungry? |
F |
|
| eh REH boh AH cheh hwahl | Are y’all hungry? |
Pl |
|
| meh TEH maht | thirsty | ||
| TEH-geh-kuñ | I’m full. | ||
| koh loh | roasted barley (a snack) | ||
| meh sah | lunch | ||
| COLORS | |||
| BIR too kan | orange (color and fruit and a girl’s name) | ||
| KI. Long I sound, you really need to force the K sound from your throat. | Red | ||
| Seh-MY ah wee | Blue | ||
| BEECH ah | Yellow | ||
| Ah rahn GWAH day | Green | ||
| Nehch | White | ||
| boo NEE | Brown | ||
| ti KOOR | black | ||
| WAY ehn tehj | purple | ||
| ANIMALS | |||
| AH-zoh | Crocodile | ||
| AHN-behs-sah | Lion | ||
| Goo MAH ray | Hippo | ||
| lahm | cow* | ||
| beh RAY | beef (ox) | ||
| behg | sheep | ||
| fee YEHL | goat | ||
| fah RAHS | horse | ||
| ah HEE yah | donkey | ||
| behk LOH | mule | ||
| DOH roh | chicken | ||
| WOO shah | dog | ||
| dih MEHT | cat | ||
| WOEFF | bird* | ||
| CLOTHING | |||
| Koh FEE yah | cap | ||
| yeh shoo RAHB koh FEE yah | hat (sweater cap) | ||
| mah nehs sir | glasses | ||
| yeh tseHI mah nehs sir | sunglasses | ||
| yahn get libs | scarf | ||
| shirt | shirt (t-shirt style) | ||
| sheh mees | button up shirt | ||
| kah nah TEE rah | short sleeve shirt | ||
| shoo RAHB | sweater | ||
| yeh TOOTS mah see YAH zhah | bra (boob holder) | ||
| yehj gwahnt | gloves | ||
| moo TAHN tee | underwear (girl or boy) | ||
| goord KEH mees | skirt (half dress) | ||
| KEH mees | dress | ||
| moo loo KEH mees | long dress | ||
| soo ree | trousers | ||
| goord soo ree | shorts | ||
| jeans | jeans | ||
| kahl see | socks | ||
| NEH teh lah CHAH mah | flip flops | ||
| adidas / sneaker | athletic shoes | ||
| yeh SOOF CHAH mah | dress shoes | ||
| kahr ah vaht | tie | ||
| SOOF | suit | ||
| yeh bah hel LIBS | cultural clothes | ||
| yeh moh wah nyah LIBS | swimsuit | ||
| ye suh HAHT | wristwatch | ||
| kuh BAHT toh | belt | ||
| yeh leh leet LIBS | pajamas | ||
| yeh shint meh teh beh kee yah | diapers | ||
| jacket | jacket | ||
| mah lee yah | soccer jersey | ||
| yeh zeh nah LIBS | rain coat | ||
| KEES | |||
| zih NAHB | ring | ||
| yahn get | necklace | ||
| zip | zipper | ||
| yeh jeh BOHR sah | purse | ||
| yeh JOH ROH get | earrings | ||
| yeh KES LIBS | priest clothing | ||
| NUMBERS | |||
| Ahndt | 1 | ||
| HOO let | 2 | ||
| Sohst | 3 | ||
| AH-raht | 4 | ||
| AH-mist | 5 | ||
| SIH dist | 6 | ||
| SAH Baht | 7 | ||
| SIH mint | 8 | ||
| zeh TEHñ (make up some crazy sound between the short e and the long i sound. I can’t figure out how to write it.) | 9 | ||
| AH sir | 10 | ||
| AH sir ah ANDT | 11 | ||
| AH sir ah HOO leht | 12 | ||
| AH sir ah SOHST (keep going for the rest of the teen numbers) | 13 | ||
| HI ah | 20 | ||
| HI ah ahndt | 21 | ||
| HI ah HOO leht | 22 | ||
| Seh LAHSS sah | 30 | ||
| Seh LAHSS sah AHNDT | 31 | ||
| ahr BAH | 40 | ||
| HAHM sah | 50 | ||
| SIHL sah | 60 | ||
| SAH bah | 70 | ||
| sah MAH nee yah | 80 | ||
| zeh TEH nah | 90 | ||
| MEH toh | 100 | ||
| HOO leht MEH toh | 200 | ||
| ahnd eh SHEECH (the CH sound is like the CH in German Ich liebe dich.) | 1000 | ||
| HOO leht SHEECH | 2000 | ||
| SIMPLE COMMANDS | |||
| Tew | Stop it. (Like “don’t do that anymore”) |
M |
|
| Tay | Stop it. |
F |
|
| Nah | Come |
M |
|
| Nay | Come |
F |
|
| TOH-loh na! | Come quickly. | ||
| Tehn ya | Sleep! | ||
| Ah tin KAHñ | No touching me. (said to a male) |
M |
|
| Ah tin KEEñ | No touching me. |
F |
|
| Ah tin KOU | No touching him. male to male | ||
| In-eh-HEEDT | Let’s go. | ||
| HEED TEHN yah | Go to sleep! | ||
| heed | go! | ||
| wu TAH | get out! | ||
| Koom | stop (like stop walking) – there is some difference between when to use Koom and when to use tew, but I can’t understand it. |
M |
|
| KOO-mee | stop |
F |
|
| mah RAHM ehd | Walk! |
Pl |
|
| teh RAHM ehd | Walk! |
M |
|
| teh RAHM eh JEE | Walk! |
F |
|
| SAH-meñ | Kiss me! (Use this at the orphanage!) | ||
| MEHM-taht | Kick! (casual kick) |
Pl |
|
| MIH-tah | Kick! (the same word is used for kick and hit. somehow you are just supposed to know which one you are referring to) |
M |
|
| MIH-chee | Kick! |
F |
|
| Kwahss MEHM-taht | Kick the ball! | ||
| MAY-ahz | Catch! |
Pl |
|
| YAHZ | catch |
M |
|
| YAH-ZHJee | catch |
F |
|
| MEH-wehr-WEHR (don’t forget to roll all the Rs!) | Throw! |
Pl |
|
| wehr WEHR | Throw! |
M |
|
| wehr WEHR-EE | Throw! |
F |
|
| mahn-keh-bah-LEHL | Roll! |
Pl |
|
| AHN-keh-bah-LEHL | Roll |
M |
|
| AHN-keh-bah-YEE | Roll |
F |
|
| meh-ROHT | Run! |
Pl |
|
| eh-ROOT | run! |
M |
|
| eh-ROO-chee | run! |
F |
|
| Beh LOOT | KICK! (power kick) |
Pl |
|
| BEH-la-ohw (slur the last 2 sounds together, put the w sound at the end) | KIck! (power kick) |
M |
|
| beh LOO waht | KICK (power kick) |
F |
|
| Bell | Say (Sort of like Speak Up!) | ||
| zihm Bell | Don’t say (be quiet). | ||
| Sahk | Smile! | ||
| Ah-tuh SAHK | Don’t smile! | ||
| BIH lah | eat! | M | |
| BEE | eat! | F | |
| ENDEARMENTS | |||
| Lehb | Heart | ||
| YEH-nay hae-waht | my life (term of endearment) | ||
| Beh-teh-leh-ku Ewedehalehu | I love you big |
M |
|
| TAH-Fahch (try to emphasize syllables equally) | sweet (or delicious – doro wat can be tafach) | ||
| yeh-nay tahfach | My Sweet (term of endearment) | ||
| yeh-nay tseh-HI (long i) | My Sunshine | ||
| FAHN deh shah | popcorn (or a nickname for a smiley girl) | ||
| Meh CHEM Ahl rehs SAH shem | I never forget about you. |
F |
|
| Yeh-NAY woo-ehd | My treasure | ||
| Beh TAHM | Too much, a lot, very | ||
| AHN-chee yeh-NAY nehsh | You are mine |
F |
|
| AHN-teh yeh-NAY neh | You are mine |
M |
|
| AHN-chee NEHF-say nesh | You are my soul. |
F |
|
| AHN-tay NEHF-say neh | You are my soul. |
M |
|
| YEH-nay AHN-teh GOH-behz LEEJ-neh | You are a smart boy. | ||
| eh wed eh HA lehoo (slur the last part together) | I love you. |
M |
|
| Eh wed eh SHAH lehu | I love you. |
F |
|
| ah FIHK er HAH lehu | I love you – ROMANTIC! (Don’t say to your kids.) |
M |
|
| ah FIHK er SHAH lehu | I love you – ROMANTIC! (Don’t say to your kids.) |
F |
|
| yeh-nay FIHK-er | My Love | ||
| yeh-nay MAHR | my Honey | ||
| wair -AYN-yah | Chatterbox (Ok, not really an endearment but it is a nickname.) | ||
| yeh-NAY nih-gist | My Queen | ||
| yeh-NAY nih-gooss | My King | ||
| OUTDOORS | |||
| tseh HI | sun | ||
| DAH mehn nah | cloud | ||
| koh KOHB | star | ||
| CHAH rah KAH | moon | ||
| seh MY | sky | ||
| sahr | grass | ||
| zahf | tree | ||
| ah behb bah | flower | ||
| ze nahb | rain | ||
| wehnz | river | ||
| HYK (long I) | lake | ||
| tah rah rah | mountain | ||
| ah fir | dirt | ||
| beh reh HAH | desert | ||
| mahn get | road | ||
| CHAH kah | forest | ||
| koot kwah toh | bush | ||
| yah til kilt boh tah | garden | ||
| beh reh doh | snow | ||
| HOLIDAYS/CELEBRATION | |||
| ah dees ah met | New Year’s | ||
| en koo tah tahsh | New Year’s | ||
| fah see kah | Christian – Easter | ||
| geh nah | Christian – Christmas | ||
| yeh lih deht kehn | Birthday | ||
| mehl kahm lih deht | Happy Birthday | ||
| tim kaht | Orthodox – baptism | ||
| may day | Liberation from Italians (May 23 – ET calendar) | ||
| gehn BOHT hI ah | first day of new governmental regime (ehadige)/ end of Dergue | ||
| mes kel | Orthodox cross was found Day | ||
| eid al adha | Muslim – Festival of the Sacrifice | ||
| eid al fitr | Muslim – end of Ramadan | ||
| ADJECTIVES/DESCRIPTIONS | |||
| Tin-nish | Small (a little) | ||
| Tell-ick | Big (a lot) | ||
| MEHT-foh | Bad | ||
| ehbdt-deh-SOU | Crazy (psychiatrically) Don’t use jokingly! | ||
| Tehr OO | Good | ||
| Tehr OO Beh-TAHM | Very good! | ||
| TOH-loh | Quick/ly | ||
| Mook | Hot | ||
| MAH zihn | sad | ||
| meh KOH taht | mad | ||
| dih KAHM | tired | ||
| HI lehn yah | wide awake (have strength) | ||
| I nah fahr | shy | ||
| KOO roo | proud | ||
| meht-FOH SHIT-tah | stinky (Bad smell) | ||
| MAH fer | embarrassed | ||
| KAHZ kah zah | cold (temperature) | ||
| Tehn-KAH-rah | Strong | ||
| Dess TEHN ya | Funny or Happy | ||
| DEHS tah | Happy or funny | ||
| Kuhss | Slowly (Patiently) | ||
| KOHN-joh | Beautiful | ||
| GO behz | Clever (or “Good Job!) | ||
| ah HOON | now! | ||
| BODY PARTS | |||
| tsah GOOR | hair | ||
| RAHS | head | ||
| I-n (long I) | Eye | ||
| Ah FENCH uh | Nose | ||
| CUHM for | Lips | ||
| ahf | Mouth | ||
| Terths | Teeth | ||
| Goonch | Cheek | ||
| JOH-roh | Ear | ||
| ahn GEHT | neck (front) | ||
| ehj | arm | ||
| meh DAHF | palm | ||
| yehj eh TAHT | fingers | ||
| Lehb | Heart | ||
| Hoed | Stomach | ||
| jahr BEH | back | ||
| KU lah | Circumcised penls (adult) | ||
| KEET | butt | ||
| eh GIHR | leg (includes leg and foot) | ||
| eh GROHCH | legs | ||
| yeh gihr TAHT | foot | ||
| TAH tohch | toes | ||
| Hoed ayn ah meh MEHñ | My stomach hurts. | ||
| _____ ayn ah meh MEHñ | My ______ hurts (is sick). | ||
| yeh TOOTS | b00bs | ||
| KOH dah | skin | ||
| ahn GOHL | brain | ||
| meh LAHSS | tongue | ||
| mahn JEH RAHT | neck (back side) | ||
| ahn JET | intestine | ||
| gool beht | knee | ||
| ehmss | girl privates | ||
MISCELLANEOUS |
|||
| ZAHR ay | Today | ||
| NEH geh | Tomorrow | ||
| teh LAHN teh nah | yesterday | ||
| Kan (short a) | Day | ||
| ah HOON | now | ||
| Kah -tell-OH | Next | ||
| Ehn-DEHG-uh-nah | Again | ||
| ChAH mer | More | ||
| BECK ah | Finished (enough) | ||
| eh REHF | Drop it/Leave it/It’s over (used when having a conversation that you want to be finished) | ||
| In NUH | And | ||
| Kayss | Orthodox priest | ||
| Soft | Toilet paper (even in English it is called “Soft”) | ||
| ah-MOHN-yahl | I feel sick. | ||
| BIHCH uh | Only | ||
| Yet? | Where? | ||
| If you are playing the Battleship: | |||
| AHL-tah meh TAHM | He was Missed. | ||
| Tem-meh-TWAH | He got Hit (actually Kick) | ||
| YAHN-tah-TEH-rah | Your turn | ||
| Tah-kah-TAH-tah-yaht | Watch her (if she is cheating!) | ||
| Tah-kah-TAH-tah-yewu | Watch him! | ||
| LIB-dahsh | F.U. (male to female) Apparently this can only be used in the mode of actual physical command for the specific action, (someone will F you, not a general “sod off”) |
F |
|
| Menalsh? | What did you say? |
F |
|
| Menalk? | What did you say? |
M |
|
| Chigger yeh-LEM | No problem. | ||
| Chigger AH-leh | There is a problem. | ||
| en DEHT | How? | ||
| AHL geh-BAHN yehm | I don’t understand | ||
| HOO loom | all | ||
| MAH-kee-nah | Car | ||
| gih deh GIH dah | Wall | ||
| teh MER teh bayt | school | ||
| OW toh boos | bus | ||
| dih BOOL bool | circle | ||
| ahr rah toom gohn eh kool yeh hoh nah (OR you can just say SQUARE) | square | ||
| sost mah EH zehn | triangle | ||
| guhn ZEHB | money | ||
| kwahss | ball (but everybody knows this refers to a soccer ball or toy ball – but not volleyball or tennis ball) | ||
| balloon | |||
| eh-GEHR Kwahss chah-WAH-tah | Soccer (directly translated it means Feet-Ball-Play) | ||
| WAY-yah Ah-beh-sha neh-gehr | Oh, the ways of the Abesha!! | ||
| WAY-yah Ferengi neh-gehr | Oh, the ways of the foreigners! | ||
| EH shee | OK (you’ll hear this a lot) | ||
| EHM bee | Not OK | ||
| LEH mehn tah lihk SAH leh (exhale a heavy H sound at the end) | Why are you crying? |
M |
|
| LEH mehn tah lihk SHAH lesh | Why are you crying? |
F |
|
| IN-nay ih-FEHL-ih-gah-loh… | I want… | ||
| mihn tih-FEHL-ih-gah-leh | What do you want? |
M |
|
| mihn tih-FEHL-ih-gee-ah-lesh | What do you want? |
F |
|
| MIHN ihm | Nothing. | ||
| GO behz | Clever (or “Good Job!) | ||
| eh-nih-GEH-nah-ñAH-lehn | We will meet. | ||
| MEHL-kahm GOO-zoh yeh-HOON-eh-lih | Have a good trip. |
M |
|
| MEHL-kahm GOO-zoh yeh-HOON-eh-lesh | Have a good trip. |
F |
|
| beh AH mah REEN yah | in Amharic | ||
| geh neht | heaven | ||
| SCHOOL | |||
| teh-MAIR-teh-BAYT | school | ||
| ahss TAH mah REE | teacher | ||
| keh fill | class | ||
| teh MAH ree | students | ||
| hee sahp | math | ||
| ehn glee zee ñAH | English | ||
| science | science | ||
| tah reek | history | ||
| ah mah reen yah | Amharic | ||
| hah bah rah TEH seb | geography | ||
| moo zeek ah | music | ||
| sport | sports/gym | ||
| eh rehft | break (recess) | ||
| keh fill gee zee | class period | ||
| black-board | chalkboard | ||
| chalk | chalk | ||
| meh seh hahf | text book | ||
| err sahss | pencil | ||
| eh skrih bee toh (sounds like Spanish to me!!) | pen | ||
| shahn tah | backpack | ||
| mahss-tah-wah-shah dehb-ter | notebook | ||
| yeh BAYT seh RAH | homework | ||
| yeh dehm beh libs | uniform | ||
| ah leh kah | monitor | ||
| gwah dehn yah | friend | ||
| gwah dehn yohch | friends | ||
| meh geh rehf | beating with a stick after making a mistake | ||
| QUESTION WORDS | |||
| Mah no? | Who is that? | ||
| Mah no goh-behz/tehn-kah-rah/kohn-joh?Start with Mah-no and fill in an adjective afterwards. | Who is clever/strong/beautiful? substitute whatever adjective you want after who is | ||
| Yeht no? | Where is it/he? (male or objects) | M | |
| Yeh TAH lah? | Where is it/he? (I can’t figure out the difference of when to use yet no or yet tahla. They seem to be interchangeable. If you want to ask about a person, start with his name or position first. e.g. | M | |
| Abaye yeht no? | Where is Dad? | M | |
| yeh-nay mah-KEE-nah yet no? | Where is my car? | ||
| Yeh TAH lehch? | Where is she? | F | |
| Mommy yeh-TAH-lehch? | Where is Mommy? | ||
| Yeht neh? | Where are you? (Like if you are talking to a person on a cell phone) | M | |
| Yeht nesh? | Where are you? | F | |
| mah chay | When? | ||
| leh mehn | Why? | ||
| sint no? | How much? | ||
| yeh-HAY min-deh-NO | What is this? | ||
| YAH min-deh-NO | What is that? | ||
Update 1/19/09: Here’s another good resource for learning Amharic online. http://ethiopia.limbo13.com/index.php/amharic/
This was very good as I am trying to learn Amharic. Hope to see more. Thank you!
Tigist
Comment by tigist — October 30, 2006 @ 1:35 am |
Thankyou very much for this ,I will be travelling to Etiopiia and this will be very useful
Thanks
Comment by cheri — November 4, 2006 @ 9:38 am |
Awesome– great blog!!!
Mary, mom to many
Comment by Owlhaven — November 12, 2006 @ 9:05 pm |
Thanks, a lot, I’m Ethiopian raised in America, trying to learn more!
Comment by Tamara — December 8, 2006 @ 1:11 pm |
Thank you. I want to learn Amharic & this is a good starting
place.
Comment by Beno John — December 23, 2006 @ 12:27 am |
I loved the variety of phrases here. I work with many Ethiopians and one of them is going back to Ethiopia for a few months. Do you know how to day “Have a good trip?” or something close to “Bon voyage”?
Thanks!
-Josie
Comment by Josie — December 28, 2006 @ 6:29 pm |
Josie- I added it for you. See above.
Comment by sackrosanct — December 29, 2006 @ 11:20 am |
crown hotel is the best i know every body will love it it is every relaxable place and you will feel right at home
Comment by tarik — December 30, 2006 @ 1:21 pm |
I thank you every one trying to learn amharic and trying to teach amharic in this site. I am an ethiopian man living in a
ustralia-melbourne. A father of four daughters who are currently trying to learn amharic. This site helps a lot.
Egexiabher yestelen amesegenalu
When you have spare time to practice amharic and to taste Ethiopian food come to 205-207 nicholson st. footscray 3011 vic Australia HARAMBE Restaurant.
btam-teru-new qetlubet
Comment by Dershaye — January 10, 2007 @ 10:37 pm |
i have fallen in love with a lady from Ethiopia and i really want to be able to speak her language. i think it is impolite not to so this is really good. although Ethiopian is spoken very fast. I am from northrn ireland and have a very hard acsent to understand. hopefully this will be overcome
Comment by jeff — February 22, 2007 @ 4:13 pm |
wow this is great since im hispanic and my boyfriend is ethiopian and now i can sort of speak to him..he is soo impressed!!
Comment by crystal — March 7, 2007 @ 1:49 pm |
This was pretty cool, I need it in a project I’m doing on Ethiopia.
Comment by M.J — March 29, 2007 @ 7:58 pm |
Hi. Looks great. Does “ee” sound like as in “Hee-haw” ? – or an extended short-e sound?
Comment by Karl — April 10, 2007 @ 4:08 pm |
thank you very much i really need to learn my country language
Comment by sammy — April 15, 2007 @ 10:00 am |
ee is the long E sound (like see or free)
Comment by sackrosanct — April 16, 2007 @ 10:01 pm |
Great information. Going to Ethiopia for the New Year (Millenium). I want to surprise my husband and his family with my knowlege of the language……….It will give me something to do on the flight as well. Thanks.
Comment by TMM — May 19, 2007 @ 7:51 pm |
This is profoundly helpful!!! I’m forwarding this link to several colleagues here at the college. We receive many international students from Ethiopia. A few phrases, particularly for the older applicants and/or parents will be very, very helpful.
More…More!!!
Comment by Soraya — May 27, 2007 @ 5:39 pm |
Peace, I would like to thank those who put the website together. I am ethiopian, but I have lived in the U.S mostly all my life and I feel some what disconnected from my culture because of my lack of language. So this has given me the opportunity to able to learn it and in a affordable way, “its hard to get things free now a days. Thank you Abyssinia(GODS helper)
Comment by Abyssinia — July 5, 2007 @ 9:28 pm |
We as a family are about to adopt 2 children from Ethiopia and we want to know atleast a little bit of Amharic so that we can communicate with them before they have had time to learn english. We got a CD-rom program that really helps, but it only says the words out loud. Your site has been really helpful in showing us the visual phonetics of the words so that we can slowly sound them out. Betam amasegenallo!
Comment by The McLain Family — July 6, 2007 @ 11:35 am |
This is a great quick reference. Thank you!
I see which are Female, Male, and Plural, but which are “Formal”?
Comment by Adam — July 11, 2007 @ 7:23 pm |
This is the best website for Amharic phrases. I’ve only been able to find about 5 other ones. “Amesegenalehu”
Comment by Chovexani — August 1, 2007 @ 9:33 pm |
I would love to learn more Amharic,this is extremely helpful my goal is to speak Amharic fluently.
Comment by Clair Rudison — August 8, 2007 @ 10:05 pm |
god bless you thank you so musch my friend i am abesha
Comment by sammy — August 10, 2007 @ 9:43 pm |
Man, I just printed this not long ago and now you’ve added more! Cranking up the printer again…. thanks for such a great list.
June
Comment by June — August 19, 2007 @ 6:45 pm |
Thanks for the new material! Awesome.
Comment by esperandoaiyasu — August 27, 2007 @ 8:54 pm |
i need more romantic phrases
Comment by keith — August 31, 2007 @ 6:21 pm |
YOU ROCK!!!! Your list is absolutely invaluable!! I have purchased a DVD and a book, and all they do is confuse me. I found a tutor to help me with Amharic pronunciation, and your list will BE our textbook. Thank you so much for sharing. : )
Comment by mamamia — September 10, 2007 @ 1:17 am |
Thanks a lot!! We are adopting siblings from Ethiopia and wanted to learn enough of their language to be able to communicate with them!
Thanks so much
Comment by Juli — September 14, 2007 @ 10:04 pm |
Hi,
I am heading to Sasiga Ethiopia on Friday. I have been studying abroad with Food for the Hungry since August. Spent most our time in Uganda and Rwanda but now i have a practicum in Ethiopia. I will be Teaching Engligh to 8th graders and I would really like to start learning Amharic. I copied your Amharic Phrases blog but I was wondering if you had anything else that would help me out.
This site has helped thanks.
Peace,
Katelyn
Comment by Katelyn Wolfe — October 15, 2007 @ 2:31 am |
The more you post, the more I memorize. It’s truly the most beautiful language on earth. It’s surprising how much I’ve learned in less that a year. Amesegenall’o.
Comment by Alisa — October 18, 2007 @ 3:23 am |
This is excellent!! Do you happen to know the word for “vegetarian”? That’s an important one for us and I can’t seem to find it online. Thanks again!!
Comment by jen — October 28, 2007 @ 8:15 pm |
I am trying to impress my dear friend and am looking to find as many words to write him a note, before he is leaving to Ethiopia in seven days to visit home he has been at in a long time. I wanted to write a lil’ poem and on this site I found the most words to put something simple, yet meaningful together. I thank you very much! I however realize, being a native German speaker that I am not sure to write it appropriately as all the words are phonetically written. I would luv’ to see it how you would write it alongside the phonetic writing. I am very thankful to have found this nonetheless.
Manu
Comment by Manu — December 5, 2007 @ 10:12 pm |
Wow-as soon as I was finished writing this, my very same friend called me……….
No words necessary- but that I got all flustered.
Manu
Comment by Manu — December 5, 2007 @ 10:43 pm |
Thank you for this wonderful glossary! We are planning to bring 2 siblings home from Ethiopia next year and have heard horror stories about the plane trip. Can you suggest any words or phrases to use if they panic or get upset? Like “you are safe” or “we are going home” or anything else you can think of? Thank you so much!
Comment by Jody — March 27, 2008 @ 1:45 pm |
This was fantastic. I have a friend who frequently refers to me as she gee tu (not sure how to spell the pronunciation) or che(long a) gee tu. Do you know the meaning?
Comment by Lynell — April 26, 2008 @ 9:08 pm |
Lynell-
Shigetu is an Oromia word meaning beautiful.
Comment by sackrosanct — May 9, 2008 @ 10:01 am |
oh my dat was helpful.. i was actually writting down da ones i can use.. iam mixed ethiopian and arabic but sum house my parents speak amharic. n i don’t iam more of the arabic side. anywyas iam trying say thanx alot.. iam leaning dat was helpful… dis was fo ma best friend who is of cuz habasha
Comment by nas — July 3, 2008 @ 12:35 am |
I found this website offering what seems like an excellent product to teach Amharic. Check out the demos on the website and see for yourself. I plan to get this.
http://www.amharic.com/
Comment by Robin — July 6, 2008 @ 9:32 pm |
Love this pag, im from Germany and there are alout of Habesha people back home .
put some sentences and ca-netting words, i see (and) ,but i just wont to know how to make a sentences
from the bigging.
this truly is the best web pag on Amharic out there .
ps. i love Habesha weman.
Comment by Ahmed — August 14, 2008 @ 8:51 am |
This is an AWESOME list……to many sites spell the word, but don’t really give you the pronunciation. Thank you so much for taking the time to make and post this list….it will be indispensible, I am sure.
Jenny
Comment by Jenny — October 9, 2008 @ 9:27 am |
how do you say choosen one?
Comment by sean — November 6, 2008 @ 2:33 pm |
Tanx a lot,,, i wished my dear friend in ehtiopia, she was surprised to hear all these words,,
thank you,,
Comment by Santhosh — January 15, 2009 @ 12:35 pm |
hey i m from lebanon
since i was a kid the housekeeper (ethopian) talks with me amharic
that s how i m good in language
ps: in spelling the “h” is not always required! thank u
anche betchey biya dergelli
bye
Comment by elie — March 20, 2009 @ 12:51 pm |
chosen one: (yeh-nay mer-chah) this actually means “my choice”
don’t be afraid: ah-tih-frah (male); ah-tih-free (female)
we are going to y/our new home: weh-deh ah-dee-soo bay-tah-chihn now-yeh-mehn-hay-doh
vegetarian: aht-kilt bih-cha yeh-mee-beh-lah (eats only vegetables) else you can ask for “fasting food” which is Vegan food that the Orthodox religion people eat on special days throughout the year (about 200+ days of the year) It is easy to find on menus.
fasting food: yeh-sohm meh-gib
Comment by sackrosanct — June 15, 2009 @ 8:09 pm |
Could anyone tell me how to write, “God Bless the Children” in Amheric? Thank you for your help…Patrick
Comment by Patrick — July 15, 2009 @ 9:42 pm |
You can check http://amharicsoftwares.com if want to learn how to write in Amharic.
Comment by alem — July 29, 2009 @ 7:52 am |
thank you for this info… and the link someone posted too… I’m going to Ethiopia very soon and I needed this to become a little familiar at least ! Wonderful. If you know anywhere i can go to get invovled in ceramics while in Ethiopia let me know thanks
Comment by Crystal — August 21, 2009 @ 2:33 pm |
thank you for this info… and the link someone posted too… I’m going to Ethiopia very soon and I needed this to become a little familiar at least ! Wonderful. If you know anywhere i can go to get invovled in ceramics while in Ethiopia let me know thanks
Comment by BALOCHI ZINADINI — August 29, 2009 @ 12:57 am |